diff --git a/tests/run_tests.py b/tests/run_tests.py
index 6321f69d341c3..f53a3773f83e2 100644
--- a/tests/run_tests.py
+++ b/tests/run_tests.py
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import argparse
 import atexit
+import copy
 import os
 import pdb
 import platform
+import re
 import shutil
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -61,7 +63,7 @@ def _test_cpp_aot(test_filename, build_dir, test_info):
     return exclude_tests_cmd
 
 
-def _test_cpp():
+def _test_cpp(test_keys=None):
     curr_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
     build_dir = os.path.join(curr_dir, '../build')
     cpp_test_filename = 'taichi_cpp_tests'
@@ -73,6 +75,37 @@ def _test_cpp():
     capi_tests_exe_path = os.path.join(build_dir, capi_test_filename)
     cpp_tests_exe_path = os.path.join(build_dir, cpp_test_filename)
 
+    # Run manually specified C++ tests only, for example:
+    # "python3 tests/run_tests.py --cpp -k Scalarize.*"
+    if test_keys:
+        # Search AOT tests
+        aot_test_cases = copy.copy(__aot_test_cases)
+        for cpp_test_name, (_, _) in __aot_test_cases.items():
+            name_match = re.match(test_keys, cpp_test_name, re.I)
+            if name_match is None:
+                aot_test_cases.pop(cpp_test_name, None)
+        if aot_test_cases:
+            _test_cpp_aot(cpp_test_filename, build_dir, aot_test_cases)
+
+        # Search CAPI tests
+        capi_aot_test_cases = copy.copy(__capi_aot_test_cases)
+        for cpp_test_name, (_, _) in __capi_aot_test_cases.items():
+            name_match = re.match(test_keys, cpp_test_name, re.I)
+            if name_match is None:
+                capi_aot_test_cases.pop(cpp_test_name, None)
+        if capi_aot_test_cases:
+            _test_cpp_aot(capi_test_filename, build_dir, capi_aot_test_cases)
+
+        # Search Cpp tests
+        _run_cpp_test(cpp_test_filename, build_dir,
+                      f"--gtest_filter={test_keys}")
+
+        _run_cpp_test(capi_test_filename, build_dir,
+                      f"--gtest_filter={test_keys}")
+
+        return
+
+    # Regular C++ tests
     if os.path.exists(capi_tests_exe_path):
         # Run C-API test cases
         exclude_tests_cmd = _test_cpp_aot(capi_test_filename, build_dir,
@@ -336,7 +369,7 @@ def size_of_dir(dir):
         os.environ['TI_OFFLINE_CACHE'] = '0'
 
     if args.cpp:
-        _test_cpp()
+        _test_cpp(args.keys)
         return
 
     for _ in range(run_count):